We have another example of this with the announcement of Afropunk’s 2017 lineup. The festival, which will be going down at Fort Greene’s Commodore Barry Park on August 26th and 27th, will feature a stage that will be curated by Solange — the Saint Heron Stage. That stage will feature Sampha, Thundercat, KING, and special guests that will be announced later.

Producer Kaytranada is another artist with the great test. He will also have a stage, featuring the likes of himself, Nao, Sango, Rocc, Karriem Riggins, and more.

With the announcement of the lineup, the folks at Afropunk put out a statement explaining their festival:

We, the people built this land. Our flesh and blood is present in its buildings, its roads and its bridges. Our souls are its spiritual cornerstone. Our culture is its foundation. Our being nourishes this land – as our ancestors’ beings nourished it before us – yet the land has not always reimbursed us.

We, the people recognize the bullshit of the powerful. The injustices they committed in the past have never disappeared from view. The inequalities they perpetrate are there for all but the blind. The inadequacies they’ve paid forward to a future age are appearing over the horizon. Unless…

We, the people have a code:

No Sexism
No Racism
No Ableism
No Ageism
No Homophobia
No Fatphobia
No Transphobia

We, the people commit ourselves to uphold and fight for the rights enshrined in our code. Let us honour those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, and hold accountable those who curtail our liberties. Let us walk in the footsteps of warriors who came before us, and strive to create a society based on fundamental human rights. Let us rewrite the universal laws and educate the errant minds.

We, the people have the will to heal the divisions that threaten to reduce our dreams to ashes. We believe in resurrecting the creative power of our diversity. We open our hearts and minds, and dance to the rhythm of a brand-new future. Together. Brave and compassionate. And beautiful.